I mostly agree with this review, and would like to add a few things to it, to provide more examples of the ways the game was rushed.
Graphics: the explosions look nice and the engine is optimized, but that is all good I can say about it. Day/night toggle, no environmental effects, instantly disappearing corpses... It was acceptable when Neverwinter Nights came out, but this is not 2002 anymore.
Level design: simply awful. Most of the side quests take place in two or three winding cavern maps that are blocked with unappealing grey doors or rubble to create smaller enclosed spaces to fight. There is only one new tileset (glowy red dungeons) and it is used, like, for an hour of gameplay. The areas are often barren and empty, and I haven't found a single environmental puzzle.
Combat: only a handful of new enemies and combat mechanics, constant annoying and unrealistic spawn that ruins any suspension of disbelief... The story boss fights made up for that somewhat, though (especially the last one).
Story: probably the only aspect that didn't suffer that much, and they still had to cut a lot of more risqué choices out of it.
I wouldn't go that far and say that the game is mediocre and not a classic CRPG, but all the little annoying and disappointing details weight down the final score for me, so 7 out of 10 is about right. I'd still recommend it for playing, especially after a few patches and DLC's come out.
I disagree with most things in this review except that the recycled environments were annoying, as were the frequency of exploding enemies.
The complaint abot the UI seems especially nitpicky since, at least to me, the important thing is how the item looks on the character not the picture it has in your inventory.
The "find an item and give it to someone" quests were just there for some extra gold and experience. I personally didn't feel that they detracted from the game in any way since they had barely any impact. They may seem pointless but hardly a flaw of the game that would be worth mentioning.
The waves of enemies actually added some suspense, at least on the first playthrough, since you couldn't really gauge the threat you're facing by just looking at the group infront of you because who know's how much backup they have. The combat overall seemed like a huge improvement compared to DAO.
This review tells me that you were upset it wasn't like Baldurs Gate, not that it was actually a bad game. Using words like rape to describe anything but the worst, most terrible of acts tells me that you have a personal vendetta.
Also, calling this game Dynasty Warriors means you never, ever, not once in your life, have seen, played, or been explained that game.
^If you think that's what people use the word "rape" for on the internet, then you haven't been on the internet long enough.
Review sucks by the way.
...Still rated it above average though.
1 = Either the score that deluded fanboys of something else give, or an indicator that the game is really that bad.
6 = Bad game.
7 = The score that people give because they feel a game is crap even though the game is actually pretty good, but different from what they wanted.
8 = The score given by people who want to say a game is actually pretty good. These people are typically the ones who failed grade school, thus they think getting an 80% is a great accomplishment.
9 = Either indicates a great game, or its the score given by those incompetent people back in grade school who rate your essay with a 4/5 (Whenever the teacher makes students grade other students' essays) because you made one small typo.
10 = Either the score that deluded fanboys give, or the score that people give when they acknowledge a game's flaws but don't think a game needs to be flawless to get a 10.
Well that was an elaborate pile of nothing.
Mediocre: 7/10.
Sounds like someone's using a Four Point Scale.
Agree :D DAII is a worst game by Bio Ware I've ever seen
ENJOY YOUR B(W)EN!
The lack of variation in icons on the inventory screen is a noteworthy flaw? Are gamers seriously that jaded these days? Most negative points I've heard about the game are either a result of its rushed development schedule (recycled environments, freezing, various glitches in character relationships or quest chains) or a matter of personal taste (the lack of a traditional "save the world from the bad guy" plot, a single city to explore rather than a continent), but...icons and two colors. That's what's really important.
Describing review scores as a Four Point Scale is too generous. Two point scale. Three at most.
1-9: Worst game ever. 10: Bleh, it's okay, could've been much better if they'd consulted me while they were making it.
Agreeing with the above about the icons. That's probably too nitpicky of a concern. Did it interfere with you playing the game?
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
@gfrequency Totally agreed. Gamers are unpleasable.
It IS the worst game by Bioware I've ever seen. Also, a mediocre game, since most Bioware games slide between very good and awesome.
- It IS the worst game by Bioware I've ever seen. Also, a mediocre game, since most Bioware games slide between very good and awesome.
Sorry, but being different from the usual Bioware game =/= Mediocre.
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Dragon Age 2
A rushed game who's design veers in a completely different direction from the old-school CRPG's.
DA 2 combat is completely unbalanced, with over-the-top animations, mismatching speeds of attack, tons of pathetic enemies that spawn in multiple waves, often right on top of you (and visibly at that). Areas are rather linear and re-used a lot, many side-quests are painfully shadow (you find a object and the quest is to bring it to someone..you don't even get to talk to the person you bring the object to. You just get a generic "here you go." "Thank you")
UI is rather bad, with the inventory suffering from lack of art and sterility (two colors, all icons are the same).
The only saving grace is the more personal story, but it too funmbles at the end, with many inconsistencies and lore raping.
At the time of me writing this, it has indeed been confirmed from several sources that the game was rushed, and the lead designer Brent Knowles left Bioware (he didn't like DA 2 design direction), leaving the game in the hands Mike Lidlaw (a.k.a. "the butcher" on some forums).
All in all, it is a mediocre game at best and falls short of being a worthy successor of BG 2 or DA:O, or being a true CRPG. It plays closer to Dinasty Warriors.
7/10 (with me being generous)